St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-13
THE MAYORS MESSAGE.
A Document Bristling With Scathing
Rebukes to the Minneapolis
Bosses.
Economy Recommended in the Various
Departments Slap at the
Attorney.
Bethany Home Criticized.-The Con-
tract System -Hours and Pay
of city Labor.


The annual message of Mayor Ames was
read to the council yesterday and produced n
profound sensation. 1t was greeted with
frequent applause from the lobby and
was heard with rapt attention on every
side. Omitting portions of the sta
tistics, the following is the substance of
THE MESSAGE.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the CITY
Council: Custom and law dictate my appear
ance before you ut this time as mayor Of the
city. 1t is also required that shall review
the history of the last years administration
and give to you such recommendations as I
deem necessary from an executives stand
point. The year has been prosperous one
for the city of Minneapolis. Prosperity, such
as is uneXampled in the history of the nation,
marks every milestone erected during the
year. The recent municipal election shows
that the people still feel competent to cope
with the arrows and missiles of fanaticism
hurled at them and intended for the destruc-
ton of the city by the recent legislature,
The main object of the majority of that legis-
lature seems to have been to retard the mar
velous growth of this metropolis, and to d.
vert it towards other channels. The fanatics
stripped your executive of most of the pow
ers conferred upon him by the people, and
bestowed upon boards, which they hoped by
gerymandering this city into shoestring
wards, would deprive the people of a fair
voice in the selection OF their representatives
and retain power to the minority. Our citi-
zens have not proved to be the dupes and
hlrellngs that was anticipated. The game
played by
THE REPUBLICAN BOSSES
has proved disastrous one to them, and
most of the power stripped from your eXecu-
tive has fallen back into the hands of the
Democratic council, placed there by
yvlpf lntf no ,lD sI
surely glory enough for one day. Republican
bossism has come and gone as far as Mime
apoliS and the state of Minnesota are con-
cerned, and the verdict has gone forth that
the people are again free, and that they, in
stead of bosses, intend to rule. To you of
the majority of this honorable body 1 re-
quest reasonable consideration for the views
and desires of the "reSpectable' minority.
When you, the majority. were the 'respecta-
bic minority you asked for bread and they
gave you stone. now recommend to you
that the petitions of the respectable minor
ity'' always be given respectful hearing;
but in dong so do not forget that the tables
have been turned, and that you are now re-
sponsible to the people for all the legislation
of this body, and for the acts and compe-
tency OF the officers to be appointed by the
city council.
CITY FINANCES
The most important questions which will
engrOSS your attention are those connected
with taxation and the expenditure of the
peoples money. There has been tendency
during the last few years to increase the ag-
onies of our already tax-ridden citizens, and
| recommend economy in every branch OF the
city government under your control The
great evils incident to depriving a great city
like ours of local self-government, as has
recently been done by the legislature. are
becoming every day more and more apparent
The inclination of every board established
naturally is to think that its department is
the most important in the city, and its chief
desire is to procure all the money possible
Thus you will see there must necessarily be a
constant struggle among these organizations
to build up their respective departments at
all hazards. trust the day is not far distant
when all the boards established by the legis-
lature for the government of this city will be
abolished, and that our local affairs will again
be administered by officers fresh from the
people.
The remainder under this head is the statis-
tical resume Of city finances already published
in the GLOBE. The mayor reviews the engi-
neering work and comments on its impor-
lance. treating the subjects of parks and
building inspection Similarly.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Prominent among the philanthropic nsti-
tutions OF the city stands the public library
now in embyro. During the fiscal year the
library board has executed contract for the
erection of u magnificent public library build
Tenth street-a beautiful site The structure
is to be enclosed sometime the coming fall,
and completed as early as possible thereafter
The building, it is estimated, will cost some
thing like $1T5,000 and the cost of the site
added will bring the expense up to $3.50, 900.
In the building, departments or rooms will be
provided for public art gallery, and for the
collections of rare specimens to be placed
therein by the academy of natural sciences
An advantageous arrangement has been con-
summated with the directors of the athenpum
library, under the specific provisions of which
the athenseum will lease the library board its
splendid collection of valuable books, some
l4.000 or $4,000 volumes, these books to he
placed in the public library for the free use of
our citizens, but the ownership is not 10 pass
from the athenRum directors, in order that
the provisions of the Spencer beQuest may be
fully complied with. and the interests in no
way jeopardized. The Spencer beouest
reaches nearly $1,000 annually, and this sum
is to be expended in the purchase of books
that will be placed in the public library, The
expenses of the care and the loss of the books
will devolve upon the city, but the athenaum
will furnish custodian of their property
The lease of these books will run ninety-nine
years. Besides this collection of literary
works, the city will make extensive and COM
plete additions, until Minneapolis will rank
with any city in the West In this particular.
The amount realized by the city from the sale
of bonds and tax collections is SI24. OPS. SO,
while the expenditures for the building site.
sketches for the building, mason work on the
foundation, architecture, and incidentals
have been S124 O2S.S9, leaving balance on
hand of S51, 063.S5.
POLICE FORCE.
refer with pride to the present police force
of the city, and take pleasure in stating that
in my opinion it has no superior in the
United States as regards efficiency and disci-
pline. 1t is naturally department against